Furniture caddy carrier



Oct. 10, 1967 R. s. HAYDOCK FURNITURE CADDY CARRIER 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 13, 1966 INVENTOR I Jg ywzor/zd fifla ldfiC/ g ATTORNEY United States Patent O Filed Jan. 13, 1966, Ser. No. 536,237 3 Claims. (Cl. 145-45) The present invention relates to a furniture caddy carrier, and is particularly concerned with a caster, the greatest diameter of which rotates around its own center 01' axis, and does not oscillate.

One of the objects of the invention is the provision of an improved furniture caddy carrier, in which the design of the caster is such that it gives a symmetrical look to the unit, to which it is attached, through the full 360 of rotation on its own axis, or at any degree within the 360.

Another object is the provision of an improved caster in which the greatest diameter rotates around its own cen ter or axis, and does not oscillate, and also a caster which is symmetrical above its center of gravity relative to its own center or axis.

Another object is the provision of an improved caster, which is simple in construction, having a minimum number of parts, adapted to be used for a long period of time without repair or replacement of parts, adapted to be most economically manufactured, and sold Within the price range of a vast number of purchasers.

Other objects and advantages of the invention, will be apparent from the following description, and the accompanying drawings, in which similar characters of reference, indicate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the two sheets of drawings;

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a caster, installed in the leg of an article of furniture, embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view, taken on the plane of the line 22 of FIG. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3, is a bottom plan View;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view with the cover removed;

FIG. 5 is a vertical, medial, sectional view, taken on the plane of the line 55 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 6 is a medial, vertical, sectional View, taken on the plane of the line 6-6 of FIG. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; and

FIG. 7 is an exploded view of the parts, showing the bottom of the carrier, the wheels, the stub shaft, and a fragment of the cover from the bottom.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1, 10 indicates the fragment of a leg of an article of furniture, 12 indicates the caster or carrier, in its entirety, 14 indicates the body of the carrier, having a fixed cylindrical hub 16, rotatably mounted upon a stem 18, in a socket 20, in the leg 10, the socket 20 being lined in the conventional way.

The stem 18 is surrounded by the usual washer 22, forming a part of the lining just mentioned, and bearing against the lower end 24 of the leg 10.

The stem 18 is rotatable in the hub 16, being mounted in the hub 16 by means of upper 26, and lower 28, ball bearing assemblies, each of which has a plurality of balls 30, mounted in upper and lower races 32, 32, the balls 30 engaging a cylindrical portion 34 of the stem 18.

Each race 32 is engaged in an annular enlargement 36 in the cylindrical bore 38, in the hub 16, and the balls 30 bear against an annular washer 40, which in turn engages washer 42, which is engaged by the riveted end 44 of the stem 18.

At the upper end of a cylindrical portion 34 of stem 18, the balls 30 bear against an annular shoulder 46, on stem 18, this shoulder having an inner circular curvature, fitting against the balls 30.

The annular indentation 48 in the upper end of stem 18 is the usual shape of a stem, resiliently engaging a retain: ing member in the aforementioned lining.

All of the parts of the caddy carrier may be made of metal or a suitable plastic, except that the wheels may be rubber or plastic, and the carrier may be provided with an adapter (not shown) for different sizes, and some may be threaded and some plain,

Referring to FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, the carrier 14 is of generally half spherical shape on its exterior, integrally joined to hub 16, centrally located on the upper end of carrier 14, and at its lower end the carrier has an outwardly projecting annular shoulder 50 for retaining cover 52.

On its inside, the carrier 14 is generally hollow, except for reinforcing ribs 54, 54, and 56, 56, and the ribs 56, 56 are formed with half cylindrical bearing sockets 58 for receiving the single stub shaft 60 of cylindrical shape, With plane ends 62, 62 engaging the inner sides 64, 64 of a pair of downwardly projecting ribs 66, 66 to resist end thrust on shaft 60.

The shaft 60 supports a pair of oppositely turned rollers 68, 68, each having a hollow interior, and a cylindrical inner end portion 70, 70 and a conical outer end portion 72, 72 integrally mounted on a cylindrical bearing 74, 74, bearing against each other, and against the inside 64, 64 of ribs 66, 66, and having a cylindrical bore for receiving the shaft 60.

The parts are constructed of substantially rigid plastic, but having sufiiciency so that the shaft 60 will be permitted to force apart the bearing sockets 58 to snap into the bearings, and be retained, or also pulled out of said bearings.

The operation of the caster is as follows:

The caster rotates on its own center or axis and does not oscillate. It is symmetrical above its own center of gravity, relative to its own center or axis. The design of the caster is such that it is intended to give a symmetrical look to the unit to which it is attached, through the full 360 of rotation on its own axis, or at any degree within the 360".

It will thus be osberved that I have invented an improved caster which is attractive in appearance and efilcient in its operation. The caster is simple in construction, having a minimum number of parts, adapted to be used for a long period of time without repair or replacement of parts, adapted to be manufactured most economically and sold within the price range of a vast number of purchasers.

What I claim is new and desire to secure by United States Letters Patent is:

1. In a furniture caddy carrier, the combination of a caster body having a fixed cylindrical hub, rotatably mounted upon a substantially cylindrical stem, adapted to be mounted in a socket, in a leg of an article of furniture, the said stem being rotatably mounted in said hub, by means of an upper and a lower ball bearing assembly, mounted in upper and lower races, each having a plurality of balls, the balls engaging a cylindrical portion of said stem, each race being engaged in an annular enlargement, in a cylindrical bore in said hub, the balls bearing against an annular washer, which engages a second washer, which is engaged by the riveted end of said stem, said stern having balls also at the upper end of the stem, bearing against an annular shoulder on the stem, said shoulder having an inner circular curvature fitting against the balls, the said carrier being of generally half-spherical shape on its exterior, and integrally joined to said hub, centrally located on the upper end of the carrier, and the lower end of the carrier having an outwardly projecting annular shoulder for retaining a cover, which snaps on or off the carrier, the said carrier being generally hollow, except for reinforcing ribs, two of said ribs being formed with half cylindrical bearing sockets for receiving a shaft,

a single stub shaft of cylindrical form, snapping into or out of said bearings, said shaft having plane ends, engaging the inner sides of a pair of downwardly projecting ribs, to resist end thrust on said shaft, the said shaft supporting a pair of oppositely turned rollers, each roller having a hollow interior, and a cylindrical inner end portion, and a conical outer. end portion, integrally mounted on a cylindrical. bearing with. said bearings against each other and against the inside of projecting ribs, and each bearing having a cylindrical bore for receiving said shaft, the said caster rotating around on its oWn axis Without oscillation, and being symmetrical above its oWn center of gravity relative to its own axis.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which; the rollers are formed of a rubber material.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the rollers are formed of a plastic material.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 9/1959 France.

BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

15 D. L. TROUTMAN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A FURNITURE CADDY CARRIER, THE COMBINATION OF A CASTER BODY HAVING A FIXED CYLINDRICAL HUB, ROTATABLY MOUNTED UPON A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL STEM, ADAPTED TO BE MOUNTED IN A SOCKET, IN A LEG OF AN ARTICLE OF FURNITURE, THE SAID STEM BEING ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID HUB, BY MEANS OF AN UPPER AND LOWER BALL BEARING ASSEMBLY, MOUNTED IN UPPER AND LOWER RACES, EACH HAVING A PLURALITY OF BALLS, THE BALLS ENGAGING A CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID STEM, EACH RACE BEING ENGAGED IN AN ANNULAR ENLARGEMENT, IN CYLINDRICAL BORE IN SAID HUB, THE BALLS BEARING AGAINST AN ANNULAR WASHER, WHICH ENGAGES A SECOND WASHER, WHICH IS ENGAGED BY THE RIVETED END OF SAID STEM, SAID STEM HAVING BALLS ALSO AT THE UPPER END OF THE STEM, BEARING AGAINST AN ANNULAR SHOULDER ON THE STEM, SAID SHOULDER HAVING AN INNER CIRCULAR CURVATURE FITTING AGAINST THE BALLS, THE SAID CARRIER BEING OF GENERALLY HALF-SPHERICAL SHAPE ON ITS EXTERIOR, AND INTEGRALLY JOINED TO SAID HUB, CENTRALLY LOCATED ON THE UPPER END OF THE CARRIER, AND THE LOWER END OF THE CARRIER HAVING AN OUTWARDLY PROJECTING ANNULAR SHOULDER FOR RETAINING A COVER, WHICH SNAPS ON OR OFF THE CARRIER, THE SAID CARRIER BEING GENERALLY HOLLOW, EXCEPT FOR REINFORCING RIBS, TWO OF SAID RIBS BEING FORMED WITH HALF CYLINDRICAL BEARING SOCKETS FOR RECEIVING A SHAFT, A SINGLE STUB SHAFT OF CYLINDRICAL FORM, SNAPPING INTO OR OUT OF SAID BEARINGS, SAID SHAFT HAVING PLANE ENDS, ENGAGING THE INNER SIDES OF A PAIR OF DOWNWARDLY PROJECTING RIBS, TO RESIST END THRUST ON SAID SHAFT, THE SAID SHAFT SUPPORTING A PAIR OF OPPOSITELY TURNED ROLLERS, EACH ROLLER HAVING A HOLLOW INTERIOR, AND A CYLINDRICAL INNER END PORTION, AND CONICAL OUTER END PORTION, INTEGRALLY MOUNTED ON A CYLINDRICAL BEARING WITH SAID BEARINGS AGAINST EACH OTHER AND AGAINST THE INSIDE OF PROJECTING RIBS, AND EACH BEARING HAVING A CYLINDRICAL BORE FOR RECEIVING SAID SHAFT, THE SAID CASTER ROTATING AROUND ON ITS OWN AXIS WITHOUT OSCILLATION, AND BEING SYMMETRICAL ABOVE ITS OWN CENTER OF GRAVITY RELATIVE TO ITS OWN AXIS. 